Let me tell you something that I hope you never find out for yourself. When you get cancer it does all sorts to you, but one thing it does for months or years afterwards is it knocks your confidence. You used to be able to do things that required physical or mental effort, but now you are never sure if your body can do the things it used to do. In the last four years I have been confronted by challenges that I wasn’t sure I could rise to. What’s worse is that even when you overcome your fear of failure you are never sure you can replicate your success on subsequent occasions. It doesn’t make sense does it that, even though I’ve been to the Atlas Mountains and to Everest Base Camp after being diagnosed with both of my cancers, I’m still not sure that I could successfully get to the top of a Lake District mountain.

Well, last Saturday I decided to visit a favourite mountain that I have been to the top of on many occasions – the Old Man of Coniston. Its approximately 803 metres high (2635 feet) and its not in the top thirty highest peaks of Lakeland. Once I got started the fears disappeared and the enthusiasm I used to have for this sort of strenuous activity returned. What’s important is that after I had finished I felt that I wanted to do it again.

The Coniston Fells Coniston Water

The Coppermines Valley

Today we went to see the lovely ladies of the Genesis Appeal in Manchester. They have supported our fund raising and maintained their enthusiasm for our cross-Ireland walk throughout the entire process and I know they are as grateful as we are to those of you who have made donations. I hope your support will continue over the next few weeks.

This week we are hoping to do a couple of medium length walks so I’ll let you know how we got on. Remember the fundraising page is www.justgiving.com/rosiemcnamara and that if you want to see larger versions of the images on this page all you have to do is click on them. Bye for now!